Subotić involved in cocaine smuggling?

A new investigation against Stanko Subotic aka Cane is in the works, Belgrade daily Blic writes today. Subotic is already accused in Serbia of taking part in cigarette smuggling operations, and could now be investigated for involvement in cocaine smuggling, along with Darko Saric. Subotic involved in cocaine smuggling? “His involvement in organizing of smuggling and drug money laundering is being investigated. It is suspected that Subotic organized the buying of some firms in Vojvodina, as well as cafes and clubs in Belgrade from the money earned from narcotics sales,” a source close to the investigation told the newspaper. The source added that of all pre-trial proceedings, including for the murders in the 1990s, the assassination of Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanic, the one conducted under suspicion that Subotic was working on cocaine smuggling together with Saric carried the most weight. Subotic personally called in a live B92 TV program on Monday, as journalist Jugoslav Cosic was interviewing Montenegrin Movement for Changes (PZP)leader Nebojsa Medojevic. He accused Medojevic of launching attacks against him under orders of Serbian businessmen Miroslav Miskovic and Milan Beko. Subotic claimed that the two owed him EUR 50mn. Medojevic and both Miskovic and Beko have denied these accusations. police and prosecution obtained the first information about a possible connection between Subotic and Saric through investigations into cocaine money laundering, B92 has learned. At the same time Italian investigative authorities confirmed that the same channels through which cigarettes had been smuggled in the 1990s were also used for drug smuggling. In Italy, Sunotic is accused as one of the organizers of cigarette smuggling and as being "the creator of the money laundering system”, during almost ten years of illegal cigarette trade, Italian prosecutors said. Montenegrin media have reported that Subotic met with Saric in the northern town of Pljevlja after the arrest warrant for tobacco smuggling had been issued in Serbia. Meanwhile, Argentine television Todo Noticias (TN) reported that Argentine Federal Police (PFA), involved in Operation Balkan Warrior – which thwarted Saric's attempt to smuggle more than two tons of cocaine – had a list of suspects in the case, containing Subotic's name. Pre-trial proceedings are also being conducted against him in Serbia under suspicion that he was involved in the 2008 murder of Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanic and his associate Niko Franic. He was publically accused of these murders by Ratko Knezevic, a former close ally of current Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. Knezevic stated that Djukanovic, Subotic and former Serbian security services chief Jovica Stanisic were the leaders of the "Tobacco Cartel". Croatian media mentioned a secret witness who said that Subotic “ordered the murder”. In Italy, Bari Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giuseppe Scelsi, who worked on the cigarette smuggling indictments, stated that Pukanic was one of the key prosecution witnesses. His murder could reflect on the result of the proceeding, Scelsi said. In Serbia's indictment in the Pukanic case, suspected crime boss Sreten Jocic aka Joca Amsterdam was marked the organizer of the murder, who received money to set it up. However, the indictment does not mention the person or persons who ordered the killings. Subotic has also been linked to murders of Serbian and Montenegrin citizens committed in the 1990s. After the police General Radovan Stojicic Badza was shot and killed on April 11, 1997, there was immediate speculation that the background of the crime was cigarette smuggling. During the pre-trial proceeding, investigator marked Subotic as one of the persons suspected of ordering the murder, but the probe was never finalized. Knezevic has also publically accused Subotic of Stojicic's murder, but also of eight other killings. Knezevic gave his statemetn concerning his public allegations to the Special Prosecution in Belgrade, and the Croatian media have speculated that Subotic’s former business partner Srecko Kestner will also be questioned. In an interview to Pukanic in 2001, Kestner accused Subotic and Djukanovic of organizing tobacco smuggling and money laundering. He refused to testify in Italy, but Pukanic gave his statement to the Italian prosecution. Italy has indicted Subotic, former Montenegrin Trade Mission in Milan Chief Duska Jeknic and former Montenegrin Finance Minister Miroslav Ivanisevic for cigarette smuggling, money laundering and mafia killings. The charges against Djukanovic were archived due to the immunity he enjoys as prime minister. Subotic reacted today to these reports by rejecting his role in the cocaine smuggling, repeating that Delta Holding owner Miroslav Miskovic was organizing a campaign against him, and using state television RTS Director Aleksandar Tijanic to this end. Subotic's legal representatives sent his statement to daily Blic, saying that the motive for this was his decision to "talk about who I gave my money to, who blackmailed me, and who would now like to eliminate all debt toward me now". Subotic said earlier this week that he was located in Switzerland, which was apparently unable to arrest and extradite him to Serbia because the cigarette smuggling charges raised against him in Belgrade pertained to "abuse of office" in a privately-owned company. Now, should the money laundering indictment against Subotic materialize, State Secretary with the Ministry of Justice Slobodan Homen said, "it could be a serious reason for extradition". Stanko Subotic, aka Cane (file)

Subotić involved in cocaine smuggling?

“His involvement in organizing of smuggling and drug money laundering is being investigated. It is suspected that Subotić organized the buying of some firms in Vojvodina, as well as cafes and clubs in Belgrade from the money earned from narcotics sales,” a source close to the investigation told the newspaper.

The source added that of all pre-trial proceedings, including for the murders in the 1990s, the assassination of Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanić, the one conducted under suspicion that Subotić was working on cocaine smuggling together with Šarić carried the most weight.

Subotić personally called in a live B92 TV program on Monday, as journalist Jugoslav Ćosić was interviewing Montenegrin Movement for Changes (PZP)leader Nebojša Medojević. He accused Medojević of launching attacks against him under orders of Serbian businessmen Miroslav Mišković and Milan Beko.

Subotić claimed that the two owed him EUR 50mn. Medojević and both Mišković and Beko have denied these accusations.

police and prosecution obtained the first information about a possible connection between Subotić and Šarić through investigations into cocaine money laundering, B92 has learned. At the same time Italian investigative authorities confirmed that the same channels through which cigarettes had been smuggled in the 1990s were also used for drug smuggling.

In Italy, Sunotić is accused as one of the organizers of cigarette smuggling and as being "the creator of the money laundering system”, during almost ten years of illegal cigarette trade, Italian prosecutors said.

Montenegrin media have reported that Subotić met with Šarić in the northern town of Pljevlja after the arrest warrant for tobacco smuggling had been issued in Serbia.

Meanwhile, Argentine television Todo Noticias (TN) reported that Argentine Federal Police (PFA), involved in Operation Balkan Warrior – which thwarted Šarić's attempt to smuggle more than two tons of cocaine – had a list of suspects in the case, containing Subotić's name.

Pre-trial proceedings are also being conducted against him in Serbia under suspicion that he was involved in the 2008 murder of Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanić and his associate Niko Franić. He was publically accused of these murders by Ratko Knežević, a former close ally of current Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanović.

Knežević stated that Đukanović, Subotić and former Serbian security services chief Jovica Stanišić were the leaders of the "Tobacco Cartel". Croatian media mentioned a secret witness who said that Subotić “ordered the murder”.

In Italy, Bari Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giuseppe Scelsi, who worked on the cigarette smuggling indictments, stated that Pukanić was one of the key prosecution witnesses.

His murder could reflect on the result of the proceeding, Scelsi said.

In Serbia's indictment in the Pukanić case, suspected crime boss Sreten Jocić aka Joca Amsterdam was marked the organizer of the murder, who received money to set it up. However, the indictment does not mention the person or persons who ordered the killings.

Subotić has also been linked to murders of Serbian and Montenegrin citizens committed in the 1990s. After the police General Radovan Stojičić Badža was shot and killed on April 11, 1997, there was immediate speculation that the background of the crime was cigarette smuggling.

During the pre-trial proceeding, investigator marked Subotić as one of the persons suspected of ordering the murder, but the probe was never finalized.

Knežević has also publically accused Subotić of Stojičić's murder, but also of eight other killings.

Knežević gave his statemetn concerning his public allegations to the Special Prosecution in Belgrade, and the Croatian media have speculated that Subotić’s former business partner Srećko Kestner will also be questioned.

In an interview to Pukanić in 2001, Kestner accused Subotić and Đukanović of organizing tobacco smuggling and money laundering. He refused to testify in Italy, but Pukanić gave his statement to the Italian prosecution.

Italy has indicted Subotić, former Montenegrin Trade Mission in Milan Chief Duška Jeknić and former Montenegrin Finance Minister Miroslav Ivanišević for cigarette smuggling, money laundering and mafia killings. The charges against Đukanović were archived due to the immunity he enjoys as prime minister.

Subotić reacted today to these reports by rejecting his role in the cocaine smuggling, repeating that Delta Holding owner Miroslav Mišković was organizing a campaign against him, and using state television RTS Director Aleksandar Tijanić to this end.

Subotić's legal representatives sent his statement to daily Blic, saying that the motive for this was his decision to "talk about who I gave my money to, who blackmailed me, and who would now like to eliminate all debt toward me now".

Subotić said earlier this week that he was located in Switzerland, which was apparently unable to arrest and extradite him to Serbia because the cigarette smuggling charges raised against him in Belgrade pertained to "abuse of office" in a privately-owned company.

Now, should the money laundering indictment against Subotić materialize, State Secretary with the Ministry of Justice Slobodan Homen said, "it could be a serious reason for extradition".